Car-orists: In Game and Real World

For over a month now, gamers all around have been able to enjoy the thrills of stealing vehicles without getting in any real trouble through “Grand Theft Auto V”, aka “GTA” five. Through most of the play time, however, many gamers had the issue of their strategically acquired vehicles disappearing on them, as if they went into thin air. For many users, once a mission was completed or a grand upgrade was purchased for their vehicles, all that would vanish.

No, the team at Rockstar wasn’t playing a trick on anyone or trying to show consumers exactly what it feels like to have a car stolen from you (although, that IS exactly what it felt like—it happened to me), but this was merely just a glitch in the system that is now fixed.

This disappearing act and many other issues were resolved through what is called a “Title Update,” all of which can be seenhere.

Although in the gaming world of “Grand Theft Auto V” all is well, in the real world, Mercedes-Benz car owners can’t say the same thing. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB), Mercedes-Benz makes luxury cars that are most likely to be stolen nationwide. With the C Class, E Class, and S Class all landing in their top 10 list for luxury cars most likely to be hijacked, owners of these cars might want to think about where they park their vehicle when left unattended.

Here is what one of the Mercecdes-Benz representatives had to say about the new report:

“The simple fact is that the more desirable the vehicle, the more attractive the vehicle is to thieves. The C-Class is one of our bestselling models, so—not surprisingly—the numbers are higher. That said, a significant number of Mercedes-Benz models that are reported stolen are recovered (some very swiftly) thanks to our mbrace system which includes a stolen vehicle tracking feature (the same system which helped the authorities locate the Boston Marathon bombing suspects). So focusing purely on stolen vehicle reports doesn’t tell the whole story.”

And this representative is correct. Frank Scafidi, a speaker from the NCIB, even stated that their top 10 list does not include the background of how the vehicles were stolen.

“It could be that most Mercedes-Benz drivers leave their keys in their car while having their poodles shampooed whereas BW drivers are more careful about security,” said Scafidi. “If that is the case then it is more a question about who is driving Mercedes rather than what makes them more attractive to thieves.”

Regardless of the vehicle you drive, you should always take care of your car and make sure it is locked tight! Vehicle theft is an issue no matter the vehicle. Even though cars disappearing has been resolved in the video game world, it has yet to be resolved in everyday life.